The East Coast Uniform

As a freshman at Lehigh coming from the west coast, I have noticed one particular thing every girl seems to own the same unofficial uniform of the East Coast. I first became aware of this as me and about 300 other girls walked to Packard at 9:00 am on a Sunday morning for Sorority Open Houses, where every girl could be seen in jeans, boots, and a cute sweater. But I am here to talk about the predominant cold weathered stables and the memo I seemed to have missed coming from California where vineyard vines and Patagonia are about as foreign as snow is.

Here are the basics of the cute preppy east coast uniform:

The initial necklace- everyone has it. Whether big or small, silver or rose gold, it is a stable and can been seen all over Mountaintop.

Longchamp tote- the ideal bag that comes in an array of colors and sizes. Ideal for class because it can fit all of your stuff and it has a zipper.

Sperry’s- which seem to have been replaced by equestrian boots and hunters as it gets colder, but these boat shoes are a principle of the prep wardrobe.

The menswear watch- I love that all of the girls wear the two-tone, tortoise, or gold watch that are masculine. It is a professional look and a respectable item to have, as taking out your phone in front of your professor is the exact opposite of professional.

Patagonia- every girl has the 3 quarter “Re-tool Snap T” fleece in the fuzzy pattern and it can often be seen at rathbone, especially in the morning at the omelet station after you just woke up.

The jacket- there seems to be three main options, but the main point is that all are fashionable and all keep you warm from the East Coast chill

Green military jacket from J. Crew (I actually owned this before coming to Lehigh, where everyone has it)

Black classic Burberry quilted jacke

Goose Down puffy jacket

Down jacket Vest- many girls prefer to J. Crew one that comes in every color from olive green to the hot pink, but the main benefit of this is layering. It keeps you warm outside and is easy to shed once you are warm in class.

8. The wristlet- whether it is Vera Bradley or Tory Burch it holds probably the most valuable item you own, your swipe. Without it you can’t get food and can’t get to your room, so keep it safe.

9. The key on the wrist- I love this look because it is the college version of Zoey’s famous necklace on Zoey 101. Easy to access and you will never lose it. The newest cutest usable fashion accessory to date.

So here are just a few east coast staples to this unofficial uniform that I have noticed, what’s next to be discovered? How people deal with snow and keep the cute preppy look simultaneously. So as Thanksgiving approaches, stay cute, preppy and most of all stay warm.

College is hard. We make it easier!

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About The Author

McKenzie is currently a junior at Lehigh with a double major in International Relations and Spanish with a business minor. She loves being co-president of HC Lehigh and hopes to continue spreading the word about Her Campus all over Lehigh's campus.